Homsexuality is not a crime”: RSS general secretary

LSBT community sees a ray of hope that the government could withdraw the colonial-era law that makes homosexuality a crime after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary said the right wing organization does not see same-sex relationships as a crime but stated is as personal preferences.

On the first day of India Today conclave RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said, “Why should RSS have an opinion on homosexuality? It is not a crime as long as it does not affect the lives of others. Sexual preferences are personal issues.”

A homosexual person can be booked under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (A British-era law which terms homosexuality as crime). Under the section the person can serve jail term for 10years as homosexuality is unnatural.

India is one of the 70 countries where homosexuality is a criminal offence in the eyes of the law.

The LSBT community hopes that now BJP will pass the bill as RSS is ideological mentor of the party leading the center.

Recently, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had called for decriminalization of homosexuality but the BJP twice in last the last 90days voted against the introduction of a private member’s Bill, introduced by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for decriminalizing homosexuality.

In December 2013, Supreme Court upheld the 158-year-old British era law, a verdict that created an outrage among LGBT activists and communities across India. Protest marches against the court order were taken out by LSBT activists then across the country.

However, last month country’s highest court referred to a constitution bench the curative petition seeking a relook at its earlier verdict upholding the validity of Section 377.